We got a call last Friday (7/29) that we could go ahead and make our flight arrangements to travel over to Kaliningrad for our first trip...anytime in the next 2 weeks. Andrew's mom, Beth, will be making the first trip with me. So, the two of us will be experts on Kaliningrad by the time Andrew has to make his 1st trip over with me :)

Beth & I fly out on the evening of August 14th, but don't arrive in Kaliningrad until the late afternoon on the 15th. On the 16th, I will be dropping off my dossier (paperwork) to the Ministry of Education for them to process. Kaliningrad requires that you deliver the papers in person. Since that is all I needed to do this trip, we decided to go ahead and stay a few extra days and explore the city. Grandma Lins will get to see where her grandchild was born.

We fly home on the 19th...then, it is just a waiting game to see when we get our referral and can make the 2nd trip to see our child for the first time. It is usually around 6 weeks after the first trip. So, maybe the first week of October (right after we fly back from Colleen's wedding in Phoenix).

There is so much to do between now and the 14th...hotel reservations, get travel visas, figuring out what to bring. So exciting and overwhelming all at the same time :)

I will keep posting new news :)